welcome! This column is part of a regular series in which we share what members of the Tom’s Guide team are playing and enjoying right now, with a focus on helping you find great games you might have missed. Be sure to check out our latest entry, where we talk about why you should take a look at the Star Wars vs. Star Trek video game.
Apex Legends captured the world when it was released in 2019. It is a battle royale set in the Titanfall universe, offering fantastic action, excellent fireworks and intense matches.
But a portable port for Android and iOS was released earlier this week, so I decided to put hundreds of hours of my Apex experience to the test using the touchscreen controls. Overall, this is a solid mobile port, and I tested it on both the Galaxy S22 Ultra and iPhone 13 Pro Max.
After a few hours of playing it, I have to say I really enjoy it. It’s far from perfect – the HUD screen is too crowded – but it captures the essence of Apex Legends.
Controls are the main weak point
Touchscreen controls on a first-person shooter can be quite tricky. Apex Legends Mobile is standard fare, especially if you’ve played PUBG Mobile or Call of Duty Mobile. Your “joystick” movement is on the left side of the screen while you use your right thumb to adjust the display.
Apex Legends is known for how easy it is to navigate, especially using the slide. The mobile version captures this well, even if it takes a while to get used to. Executing a perfect slice to get out of trouble or close the gap with an opponent never ceases to please me.
The HUD screen can get quite cluttered, since Apex has a lot going on. You have gear, backpack, grenades, and health items in the middle. Although it is getting worse.
On the right side are the buttons for the bow, auto fire sights, manual sights, hip fire, jump, reload, sight configuration buttons, tool, tactical ability and end. It’s very crowded, charming, and hard to adapt to, especially if you’re used to playing on console or PC.
Because the touch screen is much less accurate than a mouse or console, lining up the perfect shot is very difficult. I usually snipe or use my bow pretty well on PC, but I struggled to get long shots in matches, not to mention headshots – whatever I managed to get was luck.
However, Apex Legends Mobile does support consoles, which is a saving grace. You can also adjust the touch screen HUD if you want, but I had a hard time finding something better than the default.
It looks beautiful and smooth
Most of my testing was done on the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which is the most powerful gaming phone you can get right now thanks to the A15 Bionic chip. So of course, I’ve overdone everything graphically. The top layer option is the original one, which I imagine is similar to the last generation or toggle settings.
You also get higher frame rates for smoother gameplay. With everything maxed out, I regularly saw 60-80 fps while gaming on my iPhone 13 Pro Max. This made for a great experience overall, helping me to respond to movement faster. (When I play Apex with my friends, I regularly look for research and exploration, so this style of play translates well to mobile.)
Apex Legends Mobile is not a one-to-one port. Most of the normal game legends are not here. I’m Fuse Master because who doesn’t like throwing grenades as much as possible, but I’ve made do with Wraith, backup legend. You start with Bloodhound, but you can unlock Octane, Wraith, Lifeline, Gibraltar, Pathfinder, Bangalore, Caustic, Mirage, and Fade. I imagine more will be added later.
I should also note that your purchases/unlocks on the regular Apex do not translate to the mobile version. This means that you will need to unlock all skins etc again. The Battle Pass is also a separate purchase. I can’t say I like this, but I also don’t see how EA and Respawn were able to achieve this (since cross-play is off the table).
Try Apex Legends Mobile
The controls are a little awkward, but Apex Legends has a lot of complexity in it. I don’t know how the developers can make the portable HUD less cluttered or prone to accidental touches – I’ve been quite the hip shot when I meant to launch ADS. There is a “git gud” element to this game, just like the console/PC version.
However, after a few hours and many matches, I can safely say that Apex Legends Mobile has earned a permanent place on my phone. This might take away Call of Duty Mobile for me, but that might depend on my mood. Sometimes, I just don’t want to deal with the pressures of a battle royale.
Apex Legends Mobile is a free game, but just watch out for microtransactions. This can be a pain if you’ve already thrown a lot into the regular game over the years. But all said, this portable port is worth picking up.
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